Artificial bait.



W. A. FOSS.,

ARTIFICIAL BAIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. I9I6.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

man STATES PATENT armen.

WILLIAM A. FOSS, F CLEVELAN, OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL IBAIT.

To all whomz't may comer/n:

Be it'known that I, WiLLIAM A. Foss, a

y citizen of the United' States, and a lresident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Bait, of which the following is a full, clear, and exa'ctdescription.

T'he invention relates to artificial bait for ishmg, and more particularly to the kind used in casting or trolling.

^ In practice, it has been found that a rigid body, such as a wooden or celluloid mnnow, in traveling through the water can be made to resemble in appearance a live bait and be more attractive to the fish, if thereV is associated therewith a freely flexible and wiggling tail-strip of pork rind or other suitable material, and that this wiggling w1ll be accentuated by a spinner in front of the minnow.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved artificial bait resembling somewhat in appearance the head and body of a minnow and a flexible tail-strip or pork rind or the like, which, as the bait travels through the water, wiggle to make the action of the bait .life-like and attractive when drawn through the water.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective of a device embodying the invention. Fig.

2 is a plan, the flexible strip bein'removed.-

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. ig. 4. is a section taken on line 4-'4 of Fig. 3.

The improved baitcomprises a substan-V tially rigid member 6 generally resembling a minnow in form, and preferably formed of wood, celluloid or other suitable material.

This member 6 has its front portion 7 formed to resemble the head and its rear rtion 8 formed 'to lresemble the body or lly of a minnow. A iiexible strip'9 usually of pork rind fits across the upper portion of the body-portion 8 of member 6, the latter being cut away or recessed, as at 10, to rep Specication of Letters Patent.

ceive the front portion of the strip 9. By placing the pork-rind in this recess, its front edgewill be protected so it will not retard passage through the water. A fish-hook 11 comprises a prong 12, a shank 14 extending longitudinally and secured in the body Sand an upwardly and forwardly inclined point 15 adapted to pass through the strip 9 near its front end to aid in securing the strip on the minnow. The .hook'proper is disposed rearwardly and above the minnow.

The iexible strip 9 extends horizontally7 from the minnow body and is impaled on the hook, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and is removably held thereon by a clamping-member 16. This clamping member is preferably formed of a strip of wire having a loop 17 at its front end. lThe cross-member 18l Patented Apr. 30, 1918. Application mea April 22, 191e. seriaim. 92,839.

of this loop extends through the body 8 to pivotally connect'meinber 16 to the minnow body. This clamping member comprises a longitudinally extending member 19 provided at its rear with a hook 20 adapted to hook under lthe shank 14 of the fish-hook and over the tail portion of the strip 9/ beneath the shank 14. The clamping member is formed of stiff spring wire so that when it is locked inl position shown in Fig. 1, the front portion of the strip 9A will be snugly and securely held on and will form the back of the'minnow.

The strip 9 is cut in suitable shape to extend transversely across and cover the back portion of the minnow and to extend rear# wardly. from the hook, as at 9', to form a tail which is not merely flexible, but is pliable and free to wiggle transversely and longitudinally, moving through the water, which has been found to be an important attribute in attracting fish.

An eye 21 disposed at the front end of the articial minnow has its shank secured in the head-portion 7 A spindle 22 for a one-blade spinner 23 has an eye 24 at its rear tion to the fishing line or to a swivel if desired. The eye 21 is secured in the front of the minnow in eccentric or olf-center relation and the one-blade spinner causes the Spindle 22 and eye 2l to vibrate slightly in response to the whirling of the spinner, and this action causes the minnow, to which a portion of the flexible strip 9 is rigidly secured, to undulate, twist or wiggle the free tail-portion 9 as the bait is being drawn through the water. The shank 14 of the fish-hook and the eye 21 are secured above the longitudinal axis of the minnow so that the latter will be ballasted or weighted tol hold the iish hook with its prong uppermost at substantially all times, and if desired a weight 30 may be built into body 8.'

In practice, it has been found that the device by reason of its peculiar action in being drawn through the water is veryl lifelike in appearance and effective in attracting fish.

The device set forth exemplifies an artificial minnow or body having a freely exible tail, the front portion of which is rigldly attached to the minnow body, and forms the minnow back, thetail being caused to undulate or wiggle in the water. which a exible strip forms, in'eEect, a horizontally disposed caudal n to undulate or wigglev in the water. Also one in which the artificial minnow has a flexible and detachable back and tail. Also one in which a single fish hook is disposed rearwardly of the minnow body and in which the exible strip forms the back and tail of the minnow. Also one inwhich the action of a one-blade spinner is utilized to accentuate the wigglmg 'of the flexible tail.

The invention vis not tobe understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'.I

l. In a fishing device, the combination of a substantially rigid body having a holding surface on ,the exterior thereof, a fish hook secured to the body, a substantially Hat -freely exible strip having its front end lapping said surface and extending rearwardly of the hook 'to form a wiggly tailpiece, means to secure the front portion of the strip substantially exposed and datwise on saidsurface, and means to cause the tail-piece to wiggle. 'p

2. In a fishing device, the combination of a substantially rigid body having a transversely and longitudinally extending holding surface on the exterior thereof, a lish hook secured to .the body, a substantially flat horizontal freely exible strip having its front end lapping' said surface and extending rearwardly of the body to form a wiggly tail-piece, means to secure the front Also one inl portion of the strip substantially exposed and against said surface, and means to cause the tail-piece to wiggle.

3. In a fishing device, the combination of a substantially rigid body having an external recess formed therein, a fish hook secured to the body, a substantially flat freely flexible strip having its front end lapping the body and disposed in the recess and extending rearwardly of the body to form a wiggly tail-piece, 'means to secure the front end of the strip in said recess, and means to cause the tail-piece to wiggle.

4. In a fishing device, the combination of a`substantially rigid body in theform of a minnow having an external recess therein,

a fish hook secured to the body, a substantially flat freely flexible strip having its front end lapping the body and fitting in `the recess and extending rearwardly of the secure the'front end of the strip on the vback lof the body, and means to cause the tailpiece to wiggle..

6. In a shing device, the combination of an artificial minnow comprising a body and head portions, a detachable freely flexible substantiallyflat strip. extending over the body and forming its back and extending rearwardly thereof to form a wigg'ly tailpiece, a ish hook secured to the body, means to secure 4the front end of the strip on the body, and means to cause the tail-piece to wiggle.y

'1. In a, fishing device, the combination of a substantially rigid body, a fish hookl having a shank extending longitudinally and secured in said body, said shank having anfk angular front end extended to form an exposed point, a exible stri-p held by said point and a clamping member for the flezn'- ble strip. l

8. In a fishing device, the combination of an artificial minnow-body, a flexible strip extending acrossv a .portion of said body portion, a fish hook secured in the body, and a clamping member pivoted to said body and extendin longitudinally of and on the outer face o the strip and provided with means to lock on the hook to hold the strlp on the body, the strip being impaled on the hook rearwardly of the body.

9. In a fishing device, the combination ofn artificial minnow, s, flexible stri extendof an artificial minnow, comprising a head l@ ing across a portion of said bo y, a sh and body portions, a iiexible strip extend hook secured 1n the body and a clamping ing across said body,portion, a sh hook: -member pivoted to said body, having a loop secured in the body and a clamping mem2 at its front end and a.4 member extending ber pivoted to said body and extendmg 1on long'itudinel7 of and on the outer side of gitudinally of the strip and provided with 15 the strip an provided with means to lock means to lock on the hook to hold the strip on the hook to hold the strip on the body. on the body.

10. In a. fishing device, the combination WILLIAM A. FOSS. 

